Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk fired back at The Washington Post on Wednesday, telling the paper to “go touch grass” after it published an article scrutinizing her wardrobe in the months following the assassination of her husband, conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Speaking at the kickoff of TPUSA Faith’s inaugural “Make Heaven Crowded” revival tour just outside Los Angeles, Kirk addressed what she described as the media’s misplaced priorities, using the Post’s fashion-focused article as a prime example. The remarks came during an appearance at Harvest Church in Riverside, California, where she was addressing faith, grief, and leadership before a supportive crowd.
Earlier this month, the Post drew widespread criticism for an article headlined around Kirk “walking a fine line in a glittering pantsuit,” examining how her clothing choices reflect her role as a public figure promoting traditional values while leading a major political organization. The piece, written by fashion writer Ashley Fetters Maloy, argued that Kirk’s wardrobe attempts to balance appearing mainstream and politically serious without being perceived as a “career woman or a feminist.”
“Kirk, a mother to two toddlers, continues to take on public-facing leadership duties while promoting traditional ideas about prioritizing marriage and motherhood, and her clothes are attempting to walk the same high wire,” the article stated. It added that her styling suggested “she’s aware that she now needs to be able to blend into mainstream, secular, political contexts well enough to be taken seriously — but not so well as to be mistaken for a career woman or a feminist.”
“And that is our day and age right now,” Kirk said. “There’s this kind of curiosity that is so innocent and God-given, which is precious. And that’s the type where you’re searching for more beautiful things, and the eternal things. But then there’s also this curiosity that just pulls you away from what matters most.”
“And I am seeing it on full display,” she continued. “It invites you to distraction. It feeds your fears. It makes you half of a person. It makes you even question your faith. It puts you in a position where you’re reacting, feeling like you have to respond when you actually don’t have to respond. And quite honestly, we live in a culture that is just endlessly curious about things that don’t matter.”
“I mean, for example, I had a Washington Post article come out about the clothes that I wear,” she said. “Like, very slow news day out there. If you are now attacking a widow’s attire, like, that’s where we’re at.”
Erika Kirk Calls Out Washington Post pic.twitter.com/8ZnuGwPcb4
— mare (@AmericanGazzete) January 22, 2026
She went on to mock the level of scrutiny applied to her appearance, offering a blunt explanation of her outfit choices.
“If you would like to know, Washington Post, I’m wearing a black outfit with a pair of Air Forces because I’m a sneakerhead,” Kirk said. “So if you would like to know what I’m wearing, you can call me, and I’d be happy to explain that I just wear what I wear because it’s comfortable. I don’t have a stylist. Like, I don’t really care. I just am myself.”
The remarks drew loud cheers from the crowd, many of whom viewed the article as inappropriate given the circumstances surrounding Kirk’s personal loss. She Finished her critique by saying, “again, go touch grass.” “Go walk in nature. Charlie loved to hike. Like, maybe take up hiking as a hobby? Just throwing it out there.”
“Go touch grass” pic.twitter.com/Jffan7gAtB
— mare (@AmericanGazzete) January 22, 2026
The Post article sparked backlash across conservative media and social platforms, with critics accusing the paper of focusing on fashion rather than substance, particularly in the wake of a political assassination. Kirk’s response at the revival event reframed the criticism as part of a broader cultural obsession with distractions, using humor and blunt language to push back against what she portrayed as misplaced media attention.
